AFCEA

AFCEA was saddened to learn of the passing of Lt. Gen. Emmett Paige Jr., USA (Ret.), on August 31. A former member of AFCEA’s board of directors, Gen. Paige served in the U.S. Army for more than 40 years. Gen. Paige was 86.

He began his Army career in August 1947 at age 16, when he dropped out of high school to enlist. Gen. Paige completed the Signal Corps Officer Candidate School in 1952 and was commissioned a second lieutenant.

It was through a scholarship awarded by AFCEA International that some California elementary school students got up close and personal with the intricate workmanship of the intrepid Albert Tangemann.

In 1922, Tangemann used scrap metal from World War II battleships to create a first-of-its-kind spiral staircase that provided access to the bottom of California’s Moaning Cavern. Ninety-two years later, one teacher’s AFCEA scholarship meant that 84 students from Sonora Elementary School could glean insights into how far construction technology has come and what allows speleologists to study deep, dark cavern secrets.

AFCEA recently celebrated several deserving and determined students, presenting them scholarships to ease their path to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). These future leaders explain the significance of their awards.

AFCEA War Veterans Undergraduate Scholarships, Afghanistan and Iraq War Veterans

The AFCEA Educational Foundation’s ROTC Commissioning Awards, established in 1991, recognize an ROTC graduate in each service for distinguished academic achievement in command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) fields.

In the Army ROTC program, an award is presented to a newly commissioned officer entering the Signal Corps who is ranked first among cadets nationally. The award is an engraved Chelsea Presidential Clock.

In the Air Force and Navy ROTC programs, the top graduating cadet and midshipman in electrical engineering or communication sciences each receive an award.

Shopping for good is made easy by the AFCEA Educational Foundation and the CauseNetwork, which offer consumers access to discounts at more than 1,000 retailers that donate a portion of each purchase to support science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Shop for STEM allows anyone to register and shop from a range of retailers, from small businesses to giants such as Amazon.com, Target and Wal-Mart. Simply visit shopforstem.org, and sign up quickly and easily with your email address.

AFCEA International’s Continuing Education (CE) program has grown dramatically since its start in 2012. The program primarily supports maintenance of CompTIA and Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) related to Department of Defense Directive 8570.01-M compliance but also fulfills some continuing education and cybersecurity certification maintenance requirements for the (ISC)2, the National Contract Management Association (NCMA), the Project Management Institute (PMI), the Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS) and the Defense Acquisition Workforce. In addition, AFCEA Leadership Forums have been approved for George Mason University continuing education units (CEUs).

In the United States, a large percentage of what people label as electronic waste is actually not waste at all, but whole electronic equipment or parts that can be refurbished and marketed for reuse or recycled. This year, consider donating your old electronics to benefit the AFCEA Educational Foundation. It’s a simple way to clear your e-clutter, and you could reap a tax benefit.

An important function of the AFCEA Educational Foundation is administering the Copernicus Award program. Every year since 1997, the sea services—the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard—have presented the Copernicus Award to recognize individuals who have made significant, demonstrable contributions to naval warfare in command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I), information systems and information warfare. The awards are co-sponsored by the U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) and the AFCEA Educational Foundation.

It can be easy to forget that AFCEA is more than a professional association—AFCEA is a community. When the southeastern United States was pummeled by Hurricane Matthew in October, the AFCEA Educational Foundation and the North Carolina and South Carolina Low Country chapters were able to provide assistance to local schools in the hardest-hit areas.

For many people in the U.S., the end of Thanksgiving marks the start of a whirlwind shopping season. From Black Friday to Cyber Monday, the search is on for the perfect gifts. But the holidays also bring about a season of charitable giving and a day known as Giving Tuesday.

Giving Tuesday, celebrated on Tuesday, November 29, is a global movement fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Using the hashtag #GivingTuesday, nonprofits around the world will raise funds and awareness for their causes. The event encourages participants to find a way to give back with their time, donations or the power of their voices.

Notes from scholarship and grant recipients are constant reminders of the importance of corporate, member and chapter contributions to the individuals the AFCEA Educational Foundation serves. The foundation provides potential benefactors with the facts; the beneficiaries of their generosity tell the story.

The shifting stability of the economy is posing complex challenges for both students and teachers. Program funding is decreasing while appeals for those scarcer dollars increases. Potential teachers are choosing more lucrative career paths to ensure they can pay back the student loans they incurred while getting their education. Current teachers in all grade levels find themselves in classrooms that lack the tools needed to teach students foundational principles, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Three members of the AFCEA NOVA chapter are taking part in the TransAmerica Cycle for STEM. They will ride more than 4,000 miles to build awareness and support for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for America’s youth. The trip began on August 1 and will finish on October 25.

AFCEA International marks its 70th anniversary this year. While much has changed as the association evolved over the decades, the founders’ guiding principles still hold true and are even more relevant now.

Established after the end of the most destructive war in human history, AFCEA today serves the Free World as it deals with burgeoning threats amid an uncertain future. The challenges that faced the postwar world then have their counterparts in this millennium, and AFCEA is uniquely positioned to help respond to them.

An aging, proprietary network at AFCEA headquarters has given way to an advanced system that positions the association to incorporate future information system capabilities. Donated by Brocade, a strategic partner of AFCEA that provided full installation and training, the network replaced a legacy system that was long out of warranty with one incorporating open standards and mechanisms for meeting cybersecurity threats as they develop.

It truly is my honor to serve as chairman of the AFCEA International board of directors. I began my career 30 years ago working on electronics, avionics, sensors and communications solutions for various industrial and military applications. AFCEA was critical to me then as a source of insights about the operational needs of the women and men in our armed forces. The association helped me appreciate for the first time the intersection of politics, policy, doctrine and technology as well as its implications—sometimes helpful, sometimes not—on military and industry efforts to deliver effective communications and electronics-based capabilities to the warfighter.

Continue your education through one of AFCEA’s preferred providers. Earn advanced degrees and certifications at your own pace, according to your schedule, through a flexible online or classroom environment—and at a discounted rate as a member of AFCEA.

The Copernicus Award, jointly given by AFCEA and the U.S. Naval Institute, honors individuals for their accomplishments in command, control, communications, computers, intelligence systems and information technology in the naval services.